1) Rice production in Vietnam accounts for around 50% of the country's agricultural emissions and 10% of global methane emissions from rice. 2) Vietnam's NDC action plan includes applying alternate wetting and drying irrigation, mid-season water drainage, and improving livestock waste treatment to reduce emissions from agriculture. 3) Alternate wetting and drying irrigation has the potential for high mitigation while offering medium barriers and enabling conditions, and can reduce methane emissions from rice fields by around 50%.

1. Dr. Bjoern Ole Sander
Representative to Vietnam,
Senior Scientist
International Rice Research Institute
Rice in Vietnam: Emissions, NDC planning and
actions, feasibility analysis of LED options

2. GHG emissions from rice production in Vietnam
VN Nat. Comm.:
• Emissions from rice sector are
higher than emissions from
transport sector
• Emissions from rice are around
50% of all agricultural emissions
Carlson et al., 2016
• Vietnam emits ~10% of global
methane emissions from rice
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
VIETNAM
Shareoftotalnational
GHGemissions
Transport emissions Rice emissions
Low-emissions rice in Vietnam The International Rice Research Institute

3. Vietnam’s Ag NDC action plan
Low-emissions rice in Vietnam The International Rice Research Institute
A3, A9: Applying alternate wetting and drying (AWD) irrigation and system of rice intensification
A15: Improving irrigation technology in planting coffee
A16: Mid-season water drainage
A8: Reusing waste products of crop production
A14: Improving agricultural processing technologies and waste treatment in the livestock sector
A1: Biogas development in the livestock sector
A11: Improving livestock feeding portion
A17: Improving livestock waste treatment technologies and reusing it for organic fertilizer
A12: Improving technologies and techniques in aquaculture and waste treatment
A18: Adjusting the proportion of low capacity vessels unsuitable for fishing grounds and planning
routes and zones for seafood exploitation

4. LED options analyzed in this study
Alternate wetting and drying (AWD)
Delaying re-irrigation until water level
has gone down to ~15cm below soil
surface. Reduces CH4 field emissions
by ~50%.
Fertilizer deep placement
Applying fertilizer below the soil
surface (often slow release fertilizer).
Reduces N2O emissions.
Short duration varieties
Switching to varieties with a shorter
maturity duration. Reduces CH4 field
emissions ~proportional to reduced
growing time.
Sustainable straw management
Reduced rates of incorporation and
burning of straw. Reduces CH4 field
emissions and black carbon
emissions.
Low-emissions rice in Vietnam The International Rice Research Institute

5. Prioritization of LED options
LED T&Ps Scaling area Mitigation
potential
Barriers Enabling
Conditions
- Incentives
Co-Benefits
AWD large high medium medium medium
Fertilizer deep placement medium low high high medium
Short duration varieties small low low low high
Sustainable straw mngmt large medium medium medium high
Low-emissions rice in Vietnam The International Rice Research Institute

6. Partial straw removal provides multiple benefits:
1) retain soil health by restoring C and K
2) create profit through straw sales
3) reduce GHG compared to incorporation
Coordinated water management can minimize
GHG emissions even with straw being
incorporated
Straw removal BurningIncorp.
Romasanta
et al., 2017
Tariq et al.,
2016
Straw management for greenhouse gas mitigation
Low-emissions rice in Vietnam The International Rice Research Institute

7. Rice straw management facts in Mekong River Delta
a:https://www.gso.gov.vn/default_en.aspx?tabid=778; b: estimated based on rice production, yield, and the ratio between
rice and rice straw yield; c: assessments made in IRRI BMZ project; d: estimated using assessment made in 2013
Low-emissions rice in Vietnam The International Rice Research Institute

8. Straw Management Practices:
CBA of straw mushroom
production
Low-emissions rice in Vietnam The International Rice Research Institute
Possible reduction?
- Reduce cost of straw
- Increase yield
NET PROFIT :
USD 0.50 – 1.00 / kg mushroom
[ USD 0.50 – 1.00 / 10kg straw ]
Possible reduction?
- Increase mechanization
[ watering, turning, etc. ]
Hung et al., 2016
Land
Rental
19.9%
Rice
Straw
25.8%
Spores 4.8%
Activators
1.2%
Power 0.6%
Labor
47.7%

9. ✔ Biodegradable products from rice straw: Fruit baskets, flower pots, cups, plates,…
✔ Rice straw foamed materials used for transportation of fragile products to prevent
damage
Innovative rice straw products
Low-emissions rice in Vietnam The International Rice Research Institute

10. Low-emissions rice in Vietnam The International Rice Research Institute
Flooded field is left to
dry out
When water level drops to
a threshold (15cm below
soil surface), the field is
irrigated again
Perforated
tube for
observing
water level in
the soil
AWD saves up to 30% of
irrigation water and reduces GHG
emissions by ~50%

11. AWD suitability maps
• Based on water balance model
• Show when and where AWD is
suitable considering biophysical
factors (rice extent, precipitation,
soil texture, evapo-transpiration)
AWD suitability (103 ha)
Suitability
class JAH MAH SDH
Highly suitable 1,987 2,057 374
Moderately
suitable 82 299 310
Lowly suitable 120 343 1,771
Not suitable 290 235 280
Low-emissions rice in Vietnam The International Rice Research Institute

12. Provincial planning: An Giang province
Low-emissions rice in Vietnam The International Rice Research Institute
• Provincial climatic suitability maps based on high resolution soil maps
• Identification of most suitable area per province
• Guiding of extension work and training
Winter-Spring Spring-Summer Summer-Autumn

13. “Socio-economic” suitability maps: An Giang province
• Include expert knowledge through survey with extension officers
and DARD officials
• Rated factors like irrigation infrastructure, farmer awareness,
capacity of cooperative, etc. per commune
• Used to adjust climatic maps by factors not observable by satellites
Low-emissions rice in Vietnam The International Rice Research Institute
Winter-Spring Spring-Summer Summer-Autumn

14. B.Sander@irri.org
Thank you!